Architectural Styles of America and Europe

New Bedford, MA. William J. Rotch House, c.1844. Architect was Alexander Jackson Davis, the nation's foremost promoter of the Gothic Revival style during the time, along with his counterpart, Andrew Jackson Downing. This house is a manifestation of Davis' house plan published in Downing's Architecture for Country Houses in 1848, specifically representing Design #24.

PERIOD OF POPULARITY: Roughly 1840’s – 1860s. Western U.S. through 1890s. Churches nationwide through 1940.

IDENTIFYING FEATURES: Steeply pitched roof, cross-gabled, decorated vergeboards, pointed-arch windows, sometimes stained glass, like churches. Gothic window above entry, one-story porch with flattened, Gothic arches. The first appearance of picturesque (asymmetrical and unpredictable) floor plans, indicating the rise of the Romantic Era in America by the 1840s.

BACKGROUND AND INSPIRATION: Gothic Revival was never popular as Greek or Italianate styles, but it’s surprising how often this style reveals itself in churches, houses, and some public buildings. It was mostly popular between 1840-1860 for houses, usually in a wood-frame form referred to as Carpenter Gothic. It remained a popular style for churches nationally right up through the 1940s (WWII), due primarily to its association with European ecclesiastical architecture. It is most abundant in the northeastern U.S. The Gothic Revival can be traced back to England in 1749 to romanticize medieval styles there, and the romanticized simplicty of medieval times. The first American Gothic house was by Alexander Jackson Davis in Baltimore, MD. in 1832. Davis was the first American architect to promote the Gothic style, particularly in his book: “Rural Residences”. This 1837 publication is also considered the first house plan book published in U.S.  Andrew Jackson Downing, a friend and horticulturalist who helped promote America’s picturesque movement, helped popularize the style through his publications and public speaking. Gothic was mostly promoted as a rural style for early suburban, country houses; its unique designs typically didn’t fit standard city lots. The style was made popular especially through Downing’s 1842 book, Cottage Residences which enjoyed 13 successive editions up through 1887.

More Photos of Gothic Revival on Tom’s Flickr: Click Here

Woodstock, CT. Bowen House, c.1846. Referred to locally as the "Pink House". Great example of carpenter Gothic style, using board and batten siding and numerous vertical features.

Savannah, GA. Gothic-style church with a strong vertical orientation (hard to photograph!), lancet-arched openings, steeply pitched roof, and quatrefoil window in the steeple (looks like a clover, a common European Gothic element).

New Bedford, MA. Excellent example of Carpenter Gothic, making decorative use of vertical board & batten siding.

Savannah, GA. c.1853. The Green-Meldrim House. Designed and built by John S. Norris. Considered one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival style in the South. Good example of flat roof with castellated (scalloped) parapet, and oriel windows on second floor

New Bedford, MA. Gothic church tower, with battlements (castelated parapets) and lancet-arched window.

Deerfield Village, MA. Reverend John Farwell Moors House, c.1848. Features double lancet window in the gable and decorative vergeboards (trim) under the eaves.